Apheresis Market – Global Industry Insights, Trends, 2025

The various procedures performed in apheresis are plasma (plasmapheresis), platelets (plateletpheresis) and leukocytes (leukapheresis). Among these procedures, the plateletpheresis is the most common procedure performed for supplying human leukocyte antigen (HLA) platelets to the patient who have become HLA sensitized. In plasmapheresis procedure the plasma can be removed to supply blood components, such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The leukapheresis is the procedure in which white blood cells (WBC) are either separated or decreased from the blood sample of the patient for the blood cell count. It is also performed to obtain the patient’s own blood cells for later transplant to use in chemotherapy treatments. The above reasons are expected to favor growth of the apheresis market.

Rise in incidence of chronic disease cases such as cancer inadvertently augments growth of the apheresis market. For instance, as per stats released by WHO, around 14 million new cases of cancer were reported in 2012. Plasma therapeutic products such as immunoglobulin, albumin, platelets and plasma are widely used for treatment of cancer.

Apheresis is a procedure of blood purification and blood component separation by using centrifugation or membrane filtration technology. This procedure is performed for blood donation component or for the treatment of disease. In this procedure, the blood is extracted from the patient or from the donor’s body with the help of the apheresis machine and desired blood components are separated on the basis of their molecular size and weight. The remaining blood is transferred back to the patient’s or to the donor’s body. Apheresis procedure is performed for various diseases such as neurological, cardiovascular, renal, autoimmune, hematological and other diseases.

The devices used in apheresis procedure are centrifugation and membrane filtration devices. The centrifuge therapeutic apheresis device is used in the separation of plasma or blood components from the whole blood. These devices are automated continuous-flow systems and are used to perform therapeutic plasma exchange, to remove plasma components or fluids, furthermore these devices are used to perform red blood cells exchange.

Also, the increase in blood donation rate is projected to support the demand for therapeutic apheresis procedure market in the near future. As per World Health Organization (WHO), in 2013, 112.5 million blood donations were collected globally and around half of these were collected in the developed countries such as the U.S. and Canada.

Furthermore, the blood donation rate was around 35.0 per 1000 population in developed countries such as the U.S. and 11.7 per 1000 population in middle-income countries such as India and 4.6 per 1000 population in low-income countries such as Afghanistan. Also, the blood donations rate increased by 10.7 million in between 2008 to 2013.

Increase in number of chronic disease cases and blood donation rate around the globe expected to support the growth of therapeutic apheresis procedure market in the near future

North America is expected to contribute major market share in apheresis as increase in number of chronic disorders in this region, such as heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. As per Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2012, around 117 million adults were suffering from one or more chronic conditions. Furthermore, in the U.S., out of all adult population, 1 of 4 adult had 2 or more chronic health conditions.

Also, the high growth rate of therapeutic apheresis procedure is expected from Asia Pacific region in the near future, supported by rise in chronic disorder cases and due to unhealthy habits, such as feeding on junk food, physical inactivity and poor nutrition habits among rural population.